


Kids Aren't All Right

by blackmariahlee



Series: The Serpent and the Lion [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Panic Attacks, Post-Battle of Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 12:35:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21338338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackmariahlee/pseuds/blackmariahlee
Summary: In the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter just wants to be alone. He just wants some damn peace and quiet. Of course, Draco Malfoy can always be counted upon to show up right at the worst time. Or maybe at the best time? After all, the war is over.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Series: The Serpent and the Lion [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1538254
Comments: 19
Kudos: 286





	Kids Aren't All Right

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my very first fic for this fandom! Which is, quite frankly, bizarre. Especially since this was my first online fandom. How it took me 15 years to realize I could write fic for this, I have no idea. I hope you enjoy!

Harry desperately wanted to scream in frustration. But that would draw too much unwanted attention. Instead he clenched his fists so tightly that his fingernails pressed into the skin of his palms. Breathe. Just hold it together for another minute or two. He could do that. He had to do that. Harry was so tired of doing things that he had to do. 

The dark, cool, quiet of the dungeons was shockingly welcome for once. His steps had led him, unbidden, to his old Potions classroom. Maybe drawn by the recent revelations of the man that had spent years protecting Harry. And tormenting him. Harry leaned back against the door, closing it behind him before he pulled the cloak off. 

Distantly, he wondered where all the Slytherins were. Had they stayed in their common room? Had some ventured out to join the fray? Were they all huddled together in the Great Hall? Were they mourning for friends or family? Both sides had suffered significant casualties. Not just today. Harry certainly wasn’t about to begrudge their mourning. Regardless of who it was. Sirius had once told him that the world was not divided into good and evil. But never had it been more evident than today. 

He slid slowly down the length of the classroom door. For the first time in what felt like years, Harry was finally, blissfully alone. He choked out a laugh at the thought. How many years had he spent huddled in his cupboard, desperately wishing that he wasn’t alone? And now, the silence and darkness felt like an old friend. It welcomed him with open arms and it didn’t expect anything from him. 

Alone, on the cold stone floor of the dungeon classroom, shrouded in the darkness, the events of the day finally crashed into him. Lavender, Colin, Snape, Fred, Tonks, Lupin. Who even knew how many others. Harry buried his head in his hands and pulled at his hair as a sob escaped him. He had failed them. Failed everyone. He should have been smarter and faster and better. He should have done more. Eventually, they had prevailed. But at what cost? 

Harry had wasted months, MONTHS, wandering aimlessly around England. With no real idea of where he was going or what he was doing. He had dragged Ron and Hermione along with him because it turned out he was a selfish git along with everything else. Ron had been right to leave. He could see that now. The anger and frustration hadn’t been with Ron. It had been about Harry. And the horcrux. And really, Ron and Hermione had spent months not with one horcrux around their necks, dragging them down, but with two. They deserved medals. 

And, on top of everything, Harry had died. He had died. He had walked into the Forbidden Forest with certainty that he would die. Sure, he had walked into the forest a number of times before and had always worried that he wouldn’t walk back out. But this time, he had known. And he hadn’t walked back out had he? Hagrid had carried him back out. He had been sure, just a couple hours ago, that the only thing that had truly died out there had been that piece of Voldemort that had clung to him. Now...maybe a piece of Harry had died too. 

Harry gave a startled shout when the door behind him opened and he fell out into the hallway. It was too bright compared to the total darkness of the classroom. He blinked against the torchlight and looked up to glare at whoever had interrupted his well-earned reprieve. Just when he had thought this day couldn’t get worse. Draco Malfoy was stood over him, an eyebrow raised as he looked down at Harry sprawled on the stone floor. 

“Potter? What the bloody hell are you doing down here?” Harry waited for the usual irritation to surface whenever Malfoy spoke. But it didn’t come. Distantly, he wondered if his existential crisis and grief was taking up too much of him. And then realized that he still had tears running down his cheeks. 

“Well, I was trying to have two moments of peace and quiet.” Harry huffed and sat up. He wiped at his face and only really succeeded in getting more dirt on his face. Which was when his body decided to remind him that he had fallen face first into the hard ground of the forest. His face ached and then it seemed to seep down into the rest of his body. His arms, his legs, and bloody hell, his chest suddenly felt as though it were on fire. Ah, that was where the curse had hit him. 

“In the dungeons?” Malfoy raised his eyebrow higher. Harry struggled to his feet and turned to face him. 

“Can I help you with something, Malfoy?” 

“I suppose you and I had the same idea.” Malfoy shrugged and brushed past Harry into the classroom. The only light was the dim glow of the torches in the hall. 

“Great minds...” Harry trailed off and turned to watch Malfoy. “Shouldn’t you be with your parents?” 

“Shouldn’t you be with all your adoring fans?” He shot back. 

“Oh bollocks...” Harry ran a hand through his hair. “Nobody’s looking for me, are they?” Malfoy turned back to look at him. 

“...Not that I know of. Still, shouldn’t you be with the Weasley’s?” 

“Can’t.” Harry managed to choke out. Malfoy turned to give Harry his full attention now. Damn. He shouldn’t have said that. “I should – I meant to –” Breathe. “Thank you. For your help. Back at the Manor.” 

“My help?” Malfoy frowned. “Ah. Right. Well, don’t fall all over yourself about it, Potter. I couldn’t be sure it was you, after all.” He brushed dirt and ashes off of his robes. “And after the unfortunate incident in the Room of Requirement, I think we should consider us even.” 

“As much as I hate to admit it, you rather helped there too.” Harry shrugged. “It was incredibly stupid but Fiendfyre is one of the few things that can destroy a horcrux.” 

“A horcrux? You bloody idiots were trying to destroy a horcrux?” 

“And succeeded.” 

“The Dark Lord used a horcrux then? I suppose that makes sense.” 

“Yeah, except he used...” Harry squeezed his eyes shut. “Seven.” He still had to swallow down bile at the thought. And he had thought the incident at the Ministry a couple years ago had been horrifying. 

“Merlin...” Malfoy looked a bit sick as well and that made Harry feel a bit better. 

“I was thinking...” Harry groaned as he dropped back onto the floor and winced at the impact. “If I had been sorted into Slytherin if things would have turned out different.” 

“You? In Slytherin?” Malfoy laughed once but there was no real heat behind it. 

“That was where the Sorting Hat wanted to put me, you know?” Harry pulled his knees up to his chest. “I should have let it. Maybe if I’d been a Slytherin, Snape wouldn’t have hated me so much. Maybe he would have trusted me. Told me the truth ages ago.” Harry choked out a mirthless laugh. “Maybe I would have figured it out all on my own.” 

“Potter, what are you on about?” Malfoy jumped up to sit on one of the desks in the room. His tone wasn’t mocking, like Harry had expected. He sounded genuinely confused. And maybe a tad concerned. 

“I dunno. Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered.” Harry shook his head. “Certainly it wouldn’t have changed much. I still would have had to die.” 

“Come off it.” Malfoy rolled his eyes. “We all know you didn’t actually die. You must have given a spectacular performance, Potter. To convince the Dark Lord you were dead.” Harry huffed out a laugh. 

“Not really. Truth be told, I think I was a bit shite. If it hadn't been for your mother, I never would have made it out.” 

“My mother?” 

“She was worried about you. And wanted to know you were safe.” 

“My mother lied to the Dark Lord? About you being dead? For me?” 

“That's what mothers do, isn't it? My mum died to protect me. Your mum lied to protect you. Think she would have dueled Voldemort herself if she had to.” He rubbed his arms to bring some warmth back into them. He could still see his own mother giving him a reassuring smile. 

“Well...” Malfoy cleared his throat. “Looks like you owe me again then, Potter.” 

“Sure, Malfoy. I owe you one.” Harry looked across the room at Malfoy. He was still perched on top of the desk. He had pulled one foot up on the desk and was resting his chin on top of his knee. If anyone else had done it, it might have looked ridiculous. As it was, Malfoy almost looked regal. The insufferable git. 

This entire day, from beginning to end, had been the longest, single most excruciating day of his life. If someone had told him this morning that his day would end in Snape’s old classroom, talking with Malfoy like this was something that they did, he would have laughed in their face. Their Gringotts break-in and subsequent escape felt like a lifetime ago. Had it really been just this morning? Harry had woken up anxious because of their mad idea to rob Gringotts. He should have been a bit more concerned. After all, he had died today. 

Harry had died today. It hit him all over again. But instead of being filled with grief and confusion and pain it was somehow...funny. He had died. He had walked into the Forest on the memories of a man he loathed to be killed. It was hilarious. It was absolutely the funniest thing that he had ever heard in his life. 

“Potter?” Malfoy sounded far away now. Maybe he had decided to find his own abandoned classroom. Harry had been here first after all. “Really, now, come off it. You’re acting ridiculous.” Was he laughing? Or crying? He couldn’t tell and he didn’t really care. “What in the bloody hell is so funny, Potter?” 

“I died!” Harry was aware that this was probably not the right response. But that knowledge was far away, distant. And he couldn’t stop laughing. “They all spent 16 years trying to keep me alive so I could die when they wanted! That’s...come on! That’s hilarious.” 

“Hilarious is not the word I would use. Why on earth would they want you to die? You’re the golden boy.” 

“Don’t you get it?” Harry could feel tears run down his cheeks again. He teetered on the edge of hysterical laughter and sobbing. “I was the last horcrux! The one he never intended to make.” He couldn’t resist quoting Dumbledore. “And they knew! Dumbledore knew for...years. And Snape! He died so that I would know I had to die!” 

“I think perhaps you ought to lie down. In the hospital wing. Come on. I’ll take you.” 

“I died.” The laughter was finally subsiding. But now he had to choke back sobs. “I was dead. I died. Alone. Only ghosts to keep me company.” Harry finally looked up at Malfoy who was much closer now. “I died.” 

“Harry...” He felt a hand on his shoulder and it took a moment for him to realize it was Malfoy. “Come on. I’m taking you to the hospital wing. Find Granger and Weasley.” 

“No.” Harry shook his head. “No, they – Fred – Madam Pomfrey has more pressing matters.” He rested his forehead on his knees and desperately wished his mother was here. Everything hurt. Maybe he was dying again. Maybe his resurrection only lasted long enough to finish the job. 

“I think they can all spare a moment to help the Chosen One.” Malfoy tried to pull him up but Harry pushed his hand away. 

“I can’t...I can’t look them in the eye. Fred is dead because of me. Tonks and Lupin. Oh Merlin...Teddy. His parents are dead cuz of me.” Harry stopped trying to control his hysteria. He didn’t have the energy. And some small part of him would rather fall apart in front of Malfoy than in front of his friends. They had their own grief. They didn’t need his. Malfoy was going to take the mickey out of him for it later but he could take it. 

And the more he sobbed, the more he couldn’t breathe. This was why he had ducked out of the Great Hall. This was why he had wanted to be alone. Harry had spent so long being the brave, stalwart Chosen One. It had only been a matter of time before he cracked. And he could feel it. He had cracked and now the pieces fell around him. Like the castle itself had only hours before. 

Distantly, he could hear someone talking. It was Malfoy. What the hell did he even want? Why was he still here? Harry would have asked except when he opened his mouth to speak, all he could do was take a gasping breath. It was hard to tell in the dim light of the room but he could see spots threatening to take over his vision. He wasn’t getting enough oxygen. Because he couldn’t breathe. 

“Potter. Harry!” Malfoy shouted. And it pulled Harry back enough to focus on the other person in the room. “You’re hyperventilating. And I need you to stop. You need to copy me. Can you do that? Copy my breathing.” Malfoy kneeled in front of him. He had his hands on Harry’s shoulders and was squeezing hard enough to hurt. “You need to breathe, Harry. After everything that we’ve been through, I am not going to be accused of killing the Chosen One hours after he defeated the greatest dark wizard in a century. Breathe, you fucking idiot.” 

Malfoy took big and exaggerated breaths. In through the nose and out through the mouth. Harry watched his shoulders rise and fall. He felt Malfoy’s breath on his face. Breathe. He could do that. Right? He took a breath when Malfoy did. It wasn’t as big or as deep but it was a breath. Harry managed to hold it in before he breathed out in sync with Malfoy. 

“Good. That’s good, Harry. Keep doing that.” Malfoy squeezed his shoulders again and Harry sucked in a breath when he did. Truth be told, it wasn’t hard. He had spent an entire year obsessed with Malfoy. He had watched him and followed him and scoured the Marauder's Map to find him. Now that Malfoy asked him to be attuned to his very breathing, that was simple. 

They stayed like that for a while. Harry didn’t know how long. It felt like hours. But it could have been a few minutes. His breathing evened out until he and Malfoy were breathing together without any effort on Harry’s part. In and out. In and out. He felt almost calm. 

“You...called me Harry.” Good. That was a genius thing to say. He suppressed the urge to groan and hit his head against the wall behind him. 

“That is your name, isn’t it?” Malfoy smirked but he didn’t draw back. 

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure you even knew that.” Harry was surprised when Malfoy laughed once. 

“That’s fair enough. I would be surprised if you ever remembered my given name.” 

“It’s rather hard to forget, Draco.” 

“Oi, I would watch it if I were you. I was just very kind to you.” 

“Yeah, you were. I owe you two now.” 

“I’ll let this one slide.” Malfoy shrugged and then turned to sit beside Harry. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Harry missed the weight of Malfoy’s hands. 

“How did you know to do that?” 

“I had my fair share of panic attacks last year. Blaise dealt with them when he was younger so he was able to help me.” 

“Oh.” They lapsed into silence again. 

“So you really died?” 

“I really died.” 

“What was it like?” 

“It looked rather like King’s Cross. But cleaner.” Malfoy burst into laughter. 

“That must have been a sight. A clean King’s Cross.” He shook his head. “...Did it hurt?” 

“Not really. It was just like Sirius said. Like falling asleep.” Harry wrapped his arms around his knees. He wished Sirius were here to offer him more words of comfort. 

“Did you... You saw your family when you died then?” 

“Nah, I saw them just before. It’s a long story. Only person I saw after I died was Dumbledore.” 

“Dumbledore at King’s Cross? I would have thought he was too good to take the train.” 

“I guess all sorts of things are possible in the afterlife.” Harry shrugged and looked over at his odd companion. “Draco?” 

“You’re right. It is a bit odd.” Malfoy shook his head but a smile tugged at his lips. 

“Draco...” Harry repeated, determined to ignore the comment. “What do you say...we start over?” Malfoy turned to look at him. He tilted his head to the side and then held out his hand. 

“Draco Malfoy.” Harry couldn’t help but grin as he took his hand. 

“Harry Potter.” Malfoy squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile in return. 

“I expect some letters from my new found friend during my stay in Azkaban.” Malfoy pulled his hand away. 

“Why in Merlin’s name would you be in Azkaban?” Harry almost laughed at the idea. Draco Malfoy and Azkaban did not go together. Malfoy raised an eyebrow and pulled back the sleeve on his left arm. The Dark Mark was visible even in the low light. 

“I believe everyone with the Mark has a one-way ticket to Azkaban.” 

“Well...I am the Chosen One.” Harry grinned and Malfoy rolled his eyes. “And I owe you one. And your mum one.” 

“You really think you can keep us out of prison?” 

“I can try. Your mum never took the Dark Mark and you were underage at the time. And only took the Mark under threat of death to yourself and your family. That’s gotta count for something.” 

“And my father?” 

“I don’t know if I can do anything for him. He was already put in Azkaban once and broke out. Or was broken out. I could try to help.” 

“Don’t worry about it.” Malfoy shrugged. “I suppose he brought it upon himself.” 

“What now?” Harry let his head rest on Draco’s shoulder. “I’ve spent the better part of my life trying to defeat Voldemort. What am I supposed to do now?” 

“You’ll have to get a life, I’m sorry to say. And stop obsessing over me.” 

“Now that we’re on a first name basis and I know that you’re actually rather amusing when you aren’t being a total prat? I don’t know, Draco. I think we have years of me obsessing over you yet.” 

“You’re an idiot.” Draco sighed but rested his head on top of Harry’s. “Do you often sit like this with your friends?” 

“Sit like what?” 

“Touching like this.” 

“With Hermione.” Harry tensed. “Why? Is it weird? I’m sorry. I didn’t -- I’m just tired.” He tried to sit up but Draco wouldn’t move his head. 

“It’s fine. I was just wondering if I should consider myself special.” 

“Well, you’re my first friend in Slytherin. So I would say that you’re special.” 

“You know that us being friends is going to be nigh on impossible in the real world, right?” 

“Draco Malfoy. I died and came back from the dead and defeated the darkest wizard in a century. And that was just today. I think you and I can manage to stay friends after we walk out of this classroom.” 

“Still.” Draco pressed closer to him. “I rather enjoy not having to actively hate you. It’s quite a relief.” 

“Glad I could help.” Harry closed his eyes. This was a bit odd. Harry didn’t sit like this with Ron. Or Seamus or Dean or Neville. Hermione sometimes. He hadn’t really even sat this close with Ginny since last year. But Draco was right. It almost felt like a spell had been cast in this room. It had settled over them and let them take refuge in each other. And some part of Harry knew that he should get up and go find Ron, Hermione, Ginny. But another part, and at this moment, a bigger part, wanted to stay right here. 

Up in the Great Hall, surrounded by friends and family, he would have to be the strong and brave hero. For some, they would expect the Chosen One. An almost mythological hero. For others, they would expect strength and comfort. They would expect leadership. Upstairs, in the Great Hall, in the real world, things were expected of him. 

But on the floor of his old Potions Master’s classroom with his old rival pressed against his side, nothing was expected of him. Draco had already seen him break down. And he had never really expected or wanted to see the big hero. He may even be relieved to find that Harry hated that part of himself more than Draco did. It was a relief. Here, he could just be Harry. Not the Boy Who Lived or the Chosen One or whatever. And Draco could just be Draco. He didn’t have to be a Death Eater or the dutiful son to a pureblood family. 

What truly surprised Harry was how comfortable it felt. He had always thought of Draco as cold. But he was so warm. And the press of his side against Harry had calmed him. He didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay here with Draco for as long as was humanly possible. So until someone noticed that Harry was missing. And managed to find him. 

“You know...” Draco broke the silence and Harry opened his eyes. “I rather liked being the center of your attention last year.” 

“Yeah? Did it stroke your ego enough?” 

“Stroked something enough.” Harry couldn’t see his face but he could hear the teasing smirk hidden in those words. 

“That was terrible. You ought to be ashamed of that terrible sex pun.” 

“I do apologize. But it was too easy. You walked right into it.” 

“I think I would have remembered walking in on you having a wank. Especially if it was about me.” 

“Well, I suppose I set myself up for that.” 

“Yep.” Harry snuggled closer to Draco. “I did spend an awful lot of time in bed thinking about you.” He turned his head in an attempt to see Draco’s face. 

“Did you?” Draco arched his brow as he fought back a smile. “And what did you think about?” 

“What the bloody hell you were doing.” Harry laughed. “It was driving me crazy. And everyone else crazy. Ron and Hermione nearly had me committed.” 

“There’s still time.” Draco sighed. “I almost wish that you had figured it out. Might have saved us both some trouble.” 

“I suppose there’s a reason the Sorting Hat never even thought about putting me into Ravenclaw.” Draco laughed. 

“Very true. I am still surprised that it wanted to put you in Slytherin. Did it say why?” 

“It said I had a thirst to prove myself. And that I was capable of greatness and Slytherin would help me to achieve greatness.” 

“The dingy old sack was right about that at least. So then why Gryffindor?” 

“I had only just been told that the darkest wizard in a century, the one that killed my parents, had been in Slytherin. And that every dark wizard had come out of Slytherin.” Harry sighed. “But they were wrong about that. Peter Pettigrew had been in Gryffindor.” 

“I suppose not wanting to be in the same house as the person who killed your family makes sense.” 

“Do you think I would have been better off in Slytherin?” 

“Honestly, mate, I think everyone in our dorm would have tried to murder you.” 

“Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Harry sighed. “Even you, Draco, darling?” He tried his best Pansy Parkinson impression. Draco stared down at him and Harry tried to keep a straight face but it was a lost cause. They both started laughing. And didn’t stop for several minutes. When they finally managed to get a grip, they had sprawled out together on the floor of the classroom. 

“It turns out that you aren’t such an insufferable.” Draco glanced over at him and Harry grinned. 

“Same to you.” Harry sighed. “You know, it’s funny. I always thought it was Slytherin and Death Eaters that were so prejudiced. And, I mean, Death Eaters, definitely are. But the rest of us were just as prejudiced against Slytherin. We wasted seven years hating each other because we thought we were supposed to.” 

“I thought that my parents were right. They are my parents so surely, they know best. But...after Year 5...I realized it wasn’t as glamourous as I had imagined. It was...dark. And heavy. And I hated every minute of it.” 

“The parental figures in our lives wanted us to be what they wanted.” Harry shrugged. “Now that it’s all over, we can do whatever we want.” 

“Yes, but what do we want?” Draco almost sounded frightened. Like a lost boy. And really, weren’t they both? Harry reached out and took his hand. Their fingers intertwined and Harry squeezed. 

“Right now, at this very moment, I just want to sleep.” 

“That isn’t exactly a long-term goal, Potter.” 

“Never been very good at those.” Harry yawned and Draco tugged on his arm to bring him closer. Harry obliged and tucked himself into his side. “I thought I would be an Auror but after everything...I dunno. I think I’ve had enough of dark wizards.” 

“I imagine that is what everyone will expect of you.” Draco tightened his grip on Harry as if that bothered him as much as it bothered Harry. “I suppose we don’t need to figure it all out right now.” 

“No. We have time.” Harry closed his eyes and sighed. “Maybe I’ll travel. Never been out of the country. Or really anywhere interesting.” 

“You should. Paris, Venice, Athens, Tokyo. A lot more to the world than London and Hogwarts.” Harry tried to stifle another yawn. “We really should get you to bed.” 

“Just what are you suggesting, Mr. Malfoy?” Harry lifted his head and grinned at Draco. 

“What are you suggestable to, Mr. Potter?” Draco raised an eyebrow and for the first time, Harry allowed himself to acknowledge that Draco was rather attractive. His face was a bit gaunter than it had been at the start of Year 6 but there was light in his eyes. His eyes sparkled with mirth and a little mischief. And Harry thought that if he had just taken Draco’s hand seven years ago, they would have put Snape and McGonagall in early graves. He tried to ignore the stab of regret. Both at the lost years of their youth and at Snape. 

“I’m pretty open-minded.” Harry smirked and briefly wondered if they were still joking. He wasn’t sure. 

“Is that so?” Draco raised up on his elbow and looked down at Harry. Huh. Well. This was...new. Only a year ago, this position would have made his blood run cold. That was decidedly not what was happening now. Harry felt his face heat up and hoped that it wasn’t noticeable in the dim light of the room. 

“Yeah. Yes. That’s me. Open-minded. Definitely. Open to new ideas.” Harry managed not to groan at how utterly stupid he sounded. Merlin, what the fuck even was today? Draco leaned over him and Harry held his breath. Draco looked over his face and a smirk tugged at his lips. 

“Good. I would hate for you to stay closed in your little Gryffindor world.” He hesitated before he leaned down and pressed his lips against Harry’s. Okay. Well. Not just joking then. Draco pulled back but he didn’t get far before Harry leaned up to kiss him again. Everything about this should be awkward and awful and wrong. Why didn’t he feel any of that? He should be thinking of Ginny. 

But she had never been further from his mind. Instead all he could feel was heat. The once cold stone floor now burned under him. And when Draco gently pressed his tongue into his mouth, the fire engulfed him entirely. Draco moved and braced himself over Harry, his hands on either side of his head. Harry was on the floor of Snape’s old classroom and he was snogging Draco Malfoy. He could never complain that his life was boring. 

And then he felt Draco grip his hips with his knees and he was so close Harry thought he had burst into flame. They were touching from their lips to their hips and it was the most erotic and intimate thing that Harry had experienced in seventeen years. They both kissed with abandon and with no concept of propriety. Nothing at all like he had kissed Cho. Or Ginny. With them he had been hesitant and shy and unsure. And he had been so aware of the memory of Cedric and the eyes of Ginny’s brothers. 

“Merlin, Potter...” Draco pressed their foreheads together. “Where did this come from?” 

“Funny. I was gonna ask you the same thing.” They were both a bit breathless. Something about that, about being responsible for rendering Draco Malfoy breathless, made their position suddenly very uncomfortable. Or rather too uncomfortable. That depended on how one looked at the situation. “Why’d you stop?” 

“To breathe, Harry.” Draco pulled back and jerked his head to get his hair out of his eyes. “I always knew that you would be the death of me.” Harry opened his mouth to respond but Draco cut him off. He reached up and ran his fingers through blond hair. Draco huffed into the kiss and Harry knew he hated to have his hair mussed. But he would risk it. It seemed that one thing had not changed. Harry had always been willing to risk life and limb for Draco. For one reason or another. And Draco could always drive Harry insane. 

“Fuck.” Draco sat back and stared down at him. “We should...” He cleared his throat. “We should get back.” His usually perfect hair was quite unruly now and Harry couldn’t help but grin. 

“Not so sure about that. You look like you’ve been well shagged.” 

“Don’t be a tease, Harry.” Draco leaned down and kissed him again. Now that they had started, it was as though they couldn’t stop. And he wasn’t complaining. Harry chased Draco’s mouth as he pulled away. 

“We are not going to shag on the floor of a dusty classroom with a Great Hall full of people that have surely noticed that you are missing and are looking for you.” 

“I agree about not shagging on the floor. It’s pretty uncomfortable. And Snape’s old classroom is not where I imagined having my first shag.” Harry sighed. “But I think they owe me some peace and quiet.” 

“Fine. Will you at least send a damn Patronus so nobody thinks that I’ve abducted you.” Draco crossed his arms over his chest. “You send a Patronus and I’ll take you to an actual bed. And not to shag, oh Chosen One. You’d fall asleep halfway through.” 

“Deal.” Harry sat up and sent a Patronus off to Hermione. She would be the least likely to go directly against his wish to be alone and rest. He still had things that needed to be dealt with. The wand in his hand, for one thing. But Draco was right. He needed to rest. There would be time to deal with the Elder Wand and the victorious dead and Ginny and Draco. There would time to figure it all out. For right now, he could stay with his old rival and just be Harry. And that was an immense relief.

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first foray into teenage boys kissing. I was only mildly uncomfortable. But I got this scene in my head and decided to just go with it. Comments and kudos make my whole life, y'all! I appreciate you reading!


End file.
